Improved marine battery-rams



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. H. KING, OF RICHMOND, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED MARINE BATTERY-RAMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,817, dated March 3, 1863.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, JOHN F. H. KING, of Port Richmond, in the county of Richmond, State of New York, have invented a new and useful method ot sinking and destroying ships and other vessels by means ot' a submerged ram, acting by thrusts or blows upon a vessels bottom or upon the side below the water-line 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and making part of this myspecication.

Figure I of the drawings represents a side view or elevation of my invention. Fig. Il represents a curved or circular form of the ram.

In constructing my submarine or submerged thrusting or striking ram, I make a bolt or solid cylinder of iron, B B, of sufficient size to .be ofthe required strength, and long enough to` extend from the point where it is to be connected to the steam driving machinery within the vessel, parallel with the keel, through the stem or bows of' the vessel, and to project out forward sufficiently to reach, when thrust the eXtreme length of the stroke, about from twelve to twenty feet. This bolt or ram passes through the stem of the vessel in a stuffingbox, a, (the stem of the vessel being represented in the drawings by A A,) and the ram is placed so far beneath the water-line as to be able to strike an enemys' vessel under water or on her bottom. A well 'connected with a pump may be placed around the bolt, so as to take up all leakage. This bolt or ram is attached at the end, Within the vessel, by a joint to one end ot' a connecting-rod, c c, the

, other end of which is connected to a crank operating with one or more large and heavy iiy-wheels, D D, the crank and wheels being driven by a pitman, E, from a steam-engine in the usual manner.

The bolt or ram may be supported within the vessel, so as to move on friction-rollers, and within guides, so as to be kept in place. When the ram is intended to strike and penetrate the bottom or door of a vessel, it should be made so as to have a thrust upward, as shown in the dotted lines B; or the ram may be constructed in a circular shape, so that when driven upward by the thrust of the machinery the end will strike upward, the circular form being as shown in Fig. II. The eX- terior end ofthe ram may have a single sharppointed head, or a chisel or wedge form, or such shape as may be best adapted to penetrate a vessels bottom.

The ram is driven by the steam-engine on board the vessel, and,being connected with the crank and fly-wheel, as above described, when the engine is set in rapid motion, a succession of rapid and heavy blows and thrusts will be produced, which, on approaching within striking distance of an enemys vessel will immediately penetrate her bottom or side.

The machinery operating the bolt or ram may be made to connect and disconnect with the driving-shaft of the wheels or propeller.

Having thus described my invention and manner of operating the same, what I claim as my invention', and for which I desire Letters Patent, is-

The use of a submerged thrusting or striking bolt or ram for penetrating the bottom or sides of a vessel of an enemy, when actuated and receiving its reciprocating motion substantially as and for the purposes described.

JOHN F. H. KING.

Witnesses:

J. B. STAPLES, GEO. W. Fox. 

